General Secretary To Lam hosted New Zealand's Speaker of the House, Gerry Brownlee, at the Party's Central Committee Office on Tuesday, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr. Brownlee's official visit to Vietnam, from 27/8 to 31/8, marks the first high-level visit since the two countries elevated their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The general secretary emphasized the complementary nature of the Vietnamese and New Zealand economies, highlighting significant potential for cooperation. He urged both countries to strengthen economic, trade, and investment ties, aiming for a bilateral trade target of 3 billion USD.
He also stressed the importance of cultural and educational cooperation, as well as people-to-people exchanges, as key pillars of the bilateral relationship. He proposed expediting direct flights and visa procedures between the two nations and requested that New Zealand support the Vietnamese community living, studying, and working there.
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General Secretary To Lam shakes hands with New Zealand's Speaker of the House, Gerry Brownlee. Photo: TTXVN |
General Secretary To Lam shakes hands with New Zealand's Speaker of the House, Gerry Brownlee. Photo: TTXVN
Speaker Brownlee affirmed that New Zealand considers Vietnam a close and important partner in the region. He expressed his support for Vietnamese students and researchers coming to New Zealand, praised the contributions of the Vietnamese community in New Zealand, and agreed on the need to strengthen tourism, trade, and investment cooperation, including establishing direct flights.
Both leaders agreed to closer cooperation on regional and international issues. The general secretary confirmed Vietnam's willingness to support New Zealand in enhancing its relationship with ASEAN, aiming to upgrade the ASEAN-New Zealand dialogue relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2025.
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Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh receives New Zealand's Speaker of the House, Gerry Brownlee. Photo: TTXVN |
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh receives New Zealand's Speaker of the House, Gerry Brownlee. Photo: TTXVN
The same day, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Speaker Brownlee at the Government Office. They agreed to promote cooperation in emerging areas such as the green economy, the digital economy, digital transformation, science, technology and innovation, and climate change response. Both countries will facilitate business and investment opportunities for their respective enterprises.
Speaker Brownlee emphasized that Vietnam and New Zealand share a common interest in ensuring a stable multilateral international trading system and uninterrupted supply chains, contributing to stable growth and prosperity both nationally and globally.
Both leaders agreed that Vietnam and New Zealand should enhance consultations, information sharing, policy coordination and cooperation in regional and international forums, actively contributing to building a peaceful, stable, cooperative, and prosperous Asia-Pacific region.
Nhu Tam
